Web-feeding means and method

ABSTRACT

A method and an apparatus are provided for feeding a web of thin, flimsy material to a wrapping station located in a wrapping machine. A sheet of the thin, flimsy material is cut from the web after it has been fed to the wrapping station. During the feeding process, a continuous web of thin, flimsy material is moved along a path from a supply. While in the feeding process, continuous, longitudinal pleats are formed in the continuous web while it moves along said path. The pleats are effective to stiffen the material without causing a transverse stress therein, thereby enhancing its capacity to be fed to the wrapping station. The feeding assembly may be used in combination with a wrapping machine for wrapping packages with a thin, flimsy sheet of material. A more specific embodiment includes an assembly providing means for placing continuous, longitudinal pleats in a thin, flimsy web of material. In this specific embodiment, the web of material is fed vertically downwardly into the wrapping machine at which point sheets are cut from the end of the web for placement around a package.

United States Patent Andrew W. Anderson West Caldwell, NJ.

[21] Appl. No. 824,561

[22] Filed May 14, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 1971 [73] AssigneeScandia Packaging Machinery Company North Arlington, NJ.

[72] Inventor [54] WEB-FEEDING MEANS AND METHOD Primary Examiner-WayneA. Morse, .lr. Attorney-Markva & Smith ABSTRACT: A method and anapparatus are provided for feeding a web of thin, flimsy material to awrapping station located in a wrapping machine. A sheet of the thin,flimsy material is cut from the web after it has been fed to thewrapping station. During the feeding process, a continuous web of thin,flimsy material is moved along a path from a supply. While in thefeeding process, continuous, longitudinal pleats are formed in thecontinuous web while it moves along said path. The pleats are effectiveto stiffen the material without causing a transverse stress therein,thereby enhancing its capacity to be fed to the wrapping station. Thefeeding assembly may be used in combination with a wrapping machine forwrapping packages with a thin, flimsy sheet of material. A more specificembodiment includes an assembly providing means for placing continuous,longitudinal pleats in a thin, flimsy web of material. 1n this specificembodiment, the web of material is fed vertically downwardly into thewrapping machine at which point sheets are cut from the end of the webfor placement around a package.

WEB-FEEDING MEANS AND METHOD This invention relates to means forfeedingthin, transparent webs to wrapping machines and provides meansfor forming longitudinal pleats in the web to stiffen the web. Thepleats are formed in two'stages with two pleats being formed in thefirst stage and two more pleats being formed in the second stage.

The invention has for its salient object to provide simple and practicalmeans for stiffening a sheet or web of thin film material therebyfacilitating the feeding of the material to a wrapping machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Other objects of this invention willappear in the following description and appended claims, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specificationwherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a web pleated;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 4- 4 of FIG.3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 6- 6 of FIG.5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is an elevational section of the machine shown in FIG. 6 butshowing the hinged frame open to receive the continuous web;

FIG. 8 is an edge view of the unpleated continuous web;

FIG. 9 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 9- 9 of FIG.5, looking in the direction of the arrows; showing the first set ofpleats formed in the machine; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line Ill-10 ofFIG. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings there areshown three shafts 10, 11 and 12 supported in upright side frames 15 and16. The top shaft 10 has mounted thereon a roller 17 over which thecontinuous web S of thin transparent material, such as polyfilm, is fedinto the pleating device. One end of the shaft 10 has mounted thereon agear 20 which meshes with an idler gear 21, which in turn meshes with agear 22 mounted on the shaft 11. The gear 22 also meshes with a gear 23which meshes with a gear 24 on the shaft 12.

The continuous web of film is guided around the roller 17 and passesdownwardly between the roller 25 on the shaft 11 and idler roller 26which is mounted on a shaft 26A in a vertical frame or bracket 27.

The shaft 12 (FIG. 5) has three rollers 28, 29 and 30 which coact withrollers 31, 31A and 31B mounted on a shaft 32 in the vertical frame orbracket 27. These rollers not only draw the film through the secondpleating stage formed by bars 40 and 43, but also hold the firstpleating intact. The vertical frame or bracket 27 is pivoted at 33 andis held in the position shown in FIG. 6 by a toggle spring 34 which ismounted on a pin 35 and surrounds the pin below a toggle handle 36,which is connected by a link 37 to the vertical frame or bracket 27. Thehandle 36 which controls the toggle is shown in FIG. 6 where thevertical frame or bracket is upright.

The vertical frame or bracket 27 has mounted on its lower end aplurality of vertical grooved bars 40, 41 42 and 43 which are connectedas at 44. The grooved bars coact with vertical strips 45 mounted onstationary plate 45A. When the parts are in the position shown in FIGS.6 and 7 they form vertical pleats in the continuous web of materialbeing fed downwardly through the machine and the pleats as shown in FIG.9 and 10 stiffen the web of thin, flimsy material to permit its beingfed through an opening or slot 46 in a support or platform 47.

The single roller 25 on a shaft 11, coacting with the single roller 26mounted on shaft 26A in frame 27, draw the film through the firstpleating action by grooved bars 41 and 42. In this manner the pleats areformed in two stages, two pleats being shown in FIG. 8 and four pleatsbeing shown in FIG. 9. It

will be obvious that when the pleats are formed the width of thematerial is changed by each set of pleats. By the arrangement of rollersshown the pleats are held intact and thusor tension during the pleatingoperation, the package in the wrapping machine will be wrapped with athin, flimsy sheet of material.

The revolving knife 48 is carried by shaft 50driven from a suitablesource of power which through a chain of gears 52, 53 and 54 driveshafts 10, 11 and 12.

From the foregoing specification it will be evident that the continuousweb of material as it is fed through the machine will be pleatedvertically in two stages in order to provide stiffness for the materialto be fed.

After the web S has reached the wrapping station, a sheet of the thin,flimsy material having no stress therein is ready for use.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has I beenparticularly shown and described, it will be understood that theinvention is capable of modification and that changes in theconstruction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts maybe made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for feeding a web of thin, flimsy material to a wrappingstation comprising:

a. means for moving the web of thin, flimsy material along a path from asupply through a cutting station and to th wrapping station, and

b. means disposed along said path to form continuous, longitudinalpleats in the web while it moves along said-path to the cutting stationand to the wrapping station,

c. said pleat-forming means having a structural configuration to formthe continuous, longitudinal pleats without causing a transverse stresson the material.

2. An assembly as defined in claim I wherein said moving means includesroller means disposed on opposite sides of the web,

said oppositely disposed roller means being adapted to coact withrespect to each other to effect movement of the web therebetween andalong said path.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said pleat-forming meansincludes grooved means disposed on one side of the path and meansdisposed on the other side of the path coacting with said grooved meansto urge the web into the grooved means without causing a transversestress on the material.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said grooved means and saidweb-urging means areadapted to act successively across the width of theweb.

5. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein a first set of coactinggrooved and web-urging means is disposed at a first location alongsaidpath to form a first pair of continuous, longitudinal pleatsand asecond set of coacting grooved andweb-urging means is disposed at asecond location along said path to form a second pair of continuous,longitudinal pleats,

said second pair of pleats-being formed on opposite sides of said firstpair of pleats.

6. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said moving means includesroller meansdisposed on opposite sides of the web,

said oppositely disposed roller means being adapted to coact withrespect to each other to effect movement of the web therebetween andalong said path,

said roller means includes a first set of coacting rollers disposed at afirst location along said path and a second set of coacting rollersdisposed at a second location along said path,

said pleat-forming means includes grooved means disposed on one side ofthe path and means disposed on the other side of the path coacting withsaid grooved means to urge the web into the grooved means withoutcausing a transverse stress on the material,

a first set of coacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at saidfirst location to form a first pair of continuous, longitudinal pleatsand a second set of coacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed atsaid second location to form a second pair of continuous, longitudinalpleats,

said second pair of pleats being formed on opposite sides of said firstpair of pleats.

7. In a wrapping machine for wrapping packages with a thin,

flimsy sheet of material, a web-feeding assembly comprising:

a. means for moving the web along a path from a supply to a wrappingstation,

b. a cutting means disposed between said moving means and said wrappingstation, and

c. means disposed along said path before said cutting means to formcontinuous, longitudinal pleats in the web while it moves to the cuttingmeans,

d. said pleat-forming means being adapted to form said pleats withoutcausing a transverse stress on the material.

8. In a wrapping machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said moving meansincludes roller means disposed on opposite sides of the web,

said oppositely disposed roller means being adapted to coact withrespect to each other to effect movement of the web therebetween andalong said path.

9. In a wrapping machine as defined in claim 7 wherein saidpleat-forming means includes grooved means disposed on one side of thepath and means disposed on the other side of the path coacting with saidgrooved means to urge the web into the grooved means without causing atransverse stress on the material.

10. in a wrapping machine as defined in claim 9 wherein said groovedmeans and said web-urging means are adapted to act successively acrossthe width of the web.

11. in a wrapping machine as defined in claim 9 wherein a first set ofcoacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at a first locationalong the path to form a first pair of continuous, longitudinal pleatsand a second set of coacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed ata second location along the path to form a second pair of continuous,longitudinal pleats,

said second pair of pleats being formed on opposite sides of said firstpair of pleats.

12. [n a wrapping machine as defined in claim 9 wherein said movingmeans includes roller means disposed on opposite sides of the web,

said oppositely disposed roller means being adapted to coact withrespect to each other to effect movement of the web therebetween andalong said path,

said roller means includes a first set of coacting rollers disposed at afirst location along said path and a second set of coacting rollersdisposed at a second location along said path,

said pleat-forming means includes grooved means disposed on one side ofthe path and means disposed on the other side of the path coacting withsaid grooved means to urge the web into the grooved means withoutcausing a transverse stress on the material,

a first set of coacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at saidfirst location to form a first pair of continuous, lon 'tudinal pleatsand a second set 0 coacting grooved and web-urging means lS disposed atsaid second location to form a second pair of continuous, longitudinalpleats,

said second pair of pleats being formed on opposite sides of said firstpair of pleats.

13. In a wrapping machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said web-feedingassembly is located above the wrapping station and the web movesvertically downwardly along said path.

14. in a process for wrapping a package with a sheet of thin,

flimsy material, the sheet forming process comprising the steps of:

a. moving a continuous web of the thin, flimsy material along a pathfrom a supply to a wrapping station,

b. forming continuous, longitudinal pleats in the web while it movesalong said path,

0. said pleats being effective to stiffen the material without causing atransverse stress therein thereby enhancing its capacity to be fed tothe wrapping station, and

d. cutting a sheet of thin, flimsy material from the continuous webafter it has reached the wrapping station.

1. An assembly for feeding a web of thin, flimsy material to a wrappingstation comprising: a. means for moving the web of thin, flimsy materialalong a path from a supply through a cutting station and to the wrappingstation, and b. means disposed along said path to form contiNuous,longitudinal pleats in the web while it moves along said path to thecutting station and to the wrapping station, c. said pleat-forming meanshaving a structural configuration to form the continuous, longitudinalpleats without causing a transverse stress on the material.
 2. Anassembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said moving means includes rollermeans disposed on opposite sides of the web, said oppositely disposedroller means being adapted to coact with respect to each other to effectmovement of the web therebetween and along said path.
 3. An assembly asdefined in claim 1, wherein said pleat-forming means includes groovedmeans disposed on one side of the path and means disposed on the otherside of the path coacting with said grooved means to urge the web intothe grooved means without causing a transverse stress on the material.4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said grooved means and saidweb-urging means are adapted to act successively across the width of theweb.
 5. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein a first set ofcoacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at a first locationalong said path to form a first pair of continuous, longitudinal pleatsand a second set of coacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed ata second location along said path to form a second pair of continuous,longitudinal pleats, said second pair of pleats being formed on oppositesides of said first pair of pleats.
 6. An assembly as defined in claim 3wherein said moving means includes roller means disposed on oppositesides of the web, said oppositely disposed roller means being adapted tocoact with respect to each other to effect movement of the webtherebetween and along said path, said roller means includes a first setof coacting rollers disposed at a first location along said path and asecond set of coacting rollers disposed at a second location along saidpath, said pleat-forming means includes grooved means disposed on oneside of the path and means disposed on the other side of the pathcoacting with said grooved means to urge the web into the grooved meanswithout causing a transverse stress on the material, a first set ofcoacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at said first locationto form a first pair of continuous, longitudinal pleats and a second setof coacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at said secondlocation to form a second pair of continuous, longitudinal pleats, saidsecond pair of pleats being formed on opposite sides of said first pairof pleats.
 7. In a wrapping machine for wrapping packages with a thin,flimsy sheet of material, a web-feeding assembly comprising: a. meansfor moving the web along a path from a supply to a wrapping station, b.a cutting means disposed between said moving means and said wrappingstation, and c. means disposed along said path before said cutting meansto form continuous, longitudinal pleats in the web while it moves to thecutting means, d. said pleat-forming means being adapted to form saidpleats without causing a transverse stress on the material.
 8. In awrapping machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said moving meansincludes roller means disposed on opposite sides of the web, saidoppositely disposed roller means being adapted to coact with respect toeach other to effect movement of the web therebetween and along saidpath.
 9. In a wrapping machine as defined in claim 7 wherein saidpleat-forming means includes grooved means disposed on one side of thepath and means disposed on the other side of the path coacting with saidgrooved means to urge the web into the grooved means without causing atransverse stress on the material.
 10. In a wrapping machine as definedin claim 9 wherein said grooved means and said web-urging means areadapted to act successively across the width of the web.
 11. In awrapping machine as defineD in claim 9 wherein a first set of coactinggrooved and web-urging means is disposed at a first location along thepath to form a first pair of continuous, longitudinal pleats and asecond set of coacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at asecond location along the path to form a second pair of continuous,longitudinal pleats, said second pair of pleats being formed on oppositesides of said first pair of pleats.
 12. In a wrapping machine as definedin claim 9 wherein said moving means includes roller means disposed onopposite sides of the web, said oppositely disposed roller means beingadapted to coact with respect to each other to effect movement of theweb therebetween and along said path, said roller means includes a firstset of coacting rollers disposed at a first location along said path anda second set of coacting rollers disposed at a second location alongsaid path, said pleat-forming means includes grooved means disposed onone side of the path and means disposed on the other side of the pathcoacting with said grooved means to urge the web into the grooved meanswithout causing a transverse stress on the material, a first set ofcoacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at said first locationto form a first pair of continuous, longitudinal pleats and a second setof coacting grooved and web-urging means is disposed at said secondlocation to form a second pair of continuous, longitudinal pleats, saidsecond pair of pleats being formed on opposite sides of said first pairof pleats.
 13. In a wrapping machine as defined in claim 7 wherein saidweb-feeding assembly is located above the wrapping station and the webmoves vertically downwardly along said path.
 14. In a process forwrapping a package with a sheet of thin, flimsy material, thesheet-forming process comprising the steps of: a. moving a continuousweb of the thin, flimsy material along a path from a supply to awrapping station, b. forming continuous, longitudinal pleats in the webwhile it moves along said path, c. said pleats being effective tostiffen the material without causing a transverse stress therein therebyenhancing its capacity to be fed to the wrapping station, and d. cuttinga sheet of thin, flimsy material from the continuous web after it hasreached the wrapping station.